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International Civil Service Advisory Board in 1954. The Advisory Board
remarked that “high standards of conduct are best attained by a universal
understanding among staff members of the relation between their conduct
and the success of the international organizations, and by the development of
a strong tradition among men and women who are jealous of the reputation
of the organizations that they serve and are anxious to safeguard it” (ICSAB
report, para. 2; see also para. 4, on the integrity expected of international civil
servants; paras. 5, 6 and 21, on loyalty; paras. 7 and 18, on independence;
and paras. 8 and 48, on impartiality).
2. In respect of the last sentence of the regulation, it would be for the
Organization to characterize an action or pronouncement as adversely
reflecting on the status of an official or an expert on mission.
Regulation 2 (e)
Officials and experts on mission shall not use their office or knowledge gained
from their official functions for private gain, financial or otherwise, or for the
gain of any third party, including family, friends and those they favour. Nor
shall they use their office for personal reasons to prejudice the positions of
those they do not favour.
Commentary
1. Regulation 2 (e), which is similar to staff regulation 1.2 (g), codifies
principles set out in the ICSAB report (see paras. 17, 28 and 42). The use of
one’s office for personal gain is clearly unacceptable. This includes not only
conducting a business from a United Nations office but also such activities as
using United Nations facilities for a business, using the United Nations name,
logo or address for a business and approving a contract for a family business
without disclosure. Regulation 2 (e) also reflects the principle set out in staff
regulation 1.2 (g) that a staff member shall not use information that has not
been made public for the private advantage of the staff member or of any
third party.
2. The regulation, for clarity, makes specific reference to prohibiting an
official or expert on mission from so favouring a third party, including family
or friends, as to enable that third party to profit from the position of the
official or expert on mission or from the exercise of his or her functions. The
term “friends” is broad and seeks to encompass not only friends as normally
understood, but also relationships that are not recognized by the United
Nations as creating a dependency.
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